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Here are the best chartreuse cocktails to use a bottle of green chartreuse! Try everything from classic drinks to modern spins.
Got a bottle of Chartreuse? Chartreuse is an herbal liqueur that’s been made by French monks since the mid-1700’s! It’s made with a blend of 130 plants, a secret recipe that makes for a flavor that’s like none other. It makes Chartreuse taste sweet, spicy, and smooth—with a distinctly herbal finish.
If you got a bottle for one drink and aren’t sure how else to use it, here are our must-try Chartreuse cocktails! There are classic cocktails like the Last Word, arguably the most famous of all green Chartreuse cocktails, and modern classics like the Naked and Famous. Whether you’ve got a bottle of yellow or green on hand, we’ve got options. Ready to get mixing?
And now, our top Chartreuse cocktails!
Arguably the most popular in this list of green Chartreuse cocktails: the Last Word! This pale green gin sour is a classic cocktail that was all but lost to history. But with the revival of cocktail culture, this one’s come back strong! It’s equal parts sharp, sweet, and sour: full of intrigue and nuance.
The Last Word appeared on menus as early as 1916, but it wasn’t printed in a cocktail book until the 1950’s. Then it basically went under the radar until a bartender in Seattle (Murray Stenson) revived it in 2004.
Ingredients: Green Chartreuse, gin, Maraschino liqueur, lime juice
Next up in our Chartreuse cocktails: the Naked and Famous! Some cocktail recipes make us sit up and take notice, and this is one of them. The Naked and Famous is as impressive as its name…from first sip! It’s got only four ingredients but beautifully balanced, the perfect harmony of smoky, citrus, bitter and sweet.
This modern cocktail was invented in 2011 by bartender Joaquín Simó while working at the bar Death and Co in New York City. It was originally made with yellow Chartreuse, but green Chartreuse is easier to find and works just as well. Simó acknowledged the Last Word was part of his inspiration behind this drink.
Ingredients: Mezcal, Chartreuse (yellow or green), Aperol, lime juice
Next up in our green Chartreuse cocktails: the Bijou! This one is another classic cocktail This drink is named for the colors of glittering jewels of the three liquors that make it up. It’s been around for over a century, with a spirit-forward flavor that’s crisp and herbaceous.
The father of modern bartending himself, Harry Johnson, invented this cocktail in the 1890’s. He named it for the colors of jewels represented by the liquors: clear gin for diamond, red for vermouth, and green for Chartreuse (bijoux means jewels in French).
Ingredients: Gin, sweet vermouth, green Chartreuse
Last up in these green Chartreuse cocktails: we're back to modern classics. Also known as the Industry Sour, it stars bitter and herbal Fernet-Branca, funky green Chartreuse, and lime juice. There’s so much nuance in flavor going on, you can barely describe it: sweet, sour, bitter and refreshing all at once.
This Chartreuse cocktail was invented by a bartender named Ted Kilgore. The first recipe for the Industry Sour was posted in 2011.
Ingredients: Fernet-Branca, green Chartreuse, lime juice, simple syrup
The Last Word (& More Chartreuse Cocktails!)
The Last Word is a unique classic chartreuse cocktail that’s newly en vogue! This pale green drink is beautifully balanced between sharp, sour, and sweet.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ounce* gin
- 1 ounce green Chartreuse liqueur
- 1 ounce maraschino liqueur
- 1 ounce fresh lime juice
- For the garnish: Luxardo cherry or other cocktail cherry
Instructions
- Add the gin, Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and shake it until cold.
- Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a Luxardo cherry or cocktail cherry.
Notes
*1 ounce = 2 tablespoons
More cocktail recipes
Looking for more drinks outside of these green Chartreuse cocktails? We’ve got 200+ cocktails for every occasion:
- Classics: Try our favorite sour cocktails, classic cocktails, or best cocktail recipes.
- Easy: These easy mixed drinks and cheap drinks have just 2 to 3 ingredients.
- The Big 5: Try the best gin cocktails, vodka cocktails, whiskey cocktails, tequila cocktails or rum cocktails.
- By Season: Go for fall cocktails, winter cocktails, holiday cocktails, or summer cocktails.
- By Ingredient: Try our cocktails with Cointreau, amaretto, wine, cranberry, lemon, lime, grapefruit, pineapple, Campari, vermouth, coffee, or orange juice.
